Works Our Monsters

Art in motion in the Visual Education and Technological Education subjects with the 6th grade classes B, C and D of the Montemor Secondary School.

I work with the 6th grade D class on ET and CEA (Our Monsters).
With the theme of structures and the connection between their elements, this work began in the first term with the creation of a sketch for a 'monster' and the construction of a minimally articulated figure. Each student was given two corks and pieces of flexible copper wire to build their figure. However, the figure had to have an anthropomorphic inspiration, since concepts related to movement and the human body and its relationship with technology were also addressed. In this way, the students began to create their fictional figures from this structural base. This was followed by lengthy processes of stuffing (with absorbent paper, white glue and newspaper), strengthening the figures (with masking tape and acrylic gesso) and finally reaching the painting and decoration stage (with acrylic paints and pieces of surplus fabric/plastic). In these stages, the main characteristics and properties of each material were addressed, as our 'monsters' came to life. We always tried to prioritize the reuse of materials, and the students understood this ecological intention well, as well as the overall work proposal. Although the pace of work wasn't the fastest or most efficient, overall, the monster figures resulted in good examples of creativity, and the students were able to learn and challenge their artistic abilities. Overall, the assessment is positive.